Strathmore Fish and Wildlife still open

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

Due to a staffing shortage the Strathmore Fish and Wildlife storefront office is often closed to the public, but it doesn’t mean the officers aren’t working.
“We find ourselves in the field a lot and therefore if we’re not in, the office is closed. The office is not shutting down, it’s not going to shut down completely, it just means if someone wants immediate service they may not get that depending on if we’re available or not,” said Kyle Lester.
The administrative assistant retired recently, leaving the office without a front end support staff to have the storefront open during the day. Due to a hiring freeze they are unable to fill that position at this time.
“When we’re available, when we have time, we’re going to be in the office. It’s just we can’t provide all the services and do all the field work because we’re short, our administrative person is an important part of the office,” said Lester.
It’s unclear when the location will see the position filled, due to a province-wide public sector hiring freeze.
Brendan Cox, Public Affairs Officer with Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, is not sure how long it will last but said there is a process that they can go through to evaluate the situation and currently they are navigating that process in an attempt to fill the position.
“Anyone who does have a need for a storefront office can visit their closest office that is still open. We have offices in Calgary, Hanna, Drumheller, so hopefully we can meet demand through those offices,” said Cox.
“On an ongoing basis, for the time being, we are actively trying to see what can be done about filling the position in Strathmore.”
With staff shortages in other districts, the Strathmore officers are extra busy, helping out where they can in places like Drumheller, while also doing their regular work, which includes assisting with fishery compliance checks, helping with urban wildlife, coyote problems, permits and licenses.
The area the two Strathmore officers cover is Rocky View County, east of Hwy #2 and essentially all of Wheatland County, and lately they have been assisting Drumheller.
“We do have an answering machine and someone can leave a message, or they can go to other districts for immediate service if no one is available. We will get back to them as soon as we can, unfortunately that may be a day or two,” said Lester.
If someone has an emergency they are encouraged to call 1-800-642-3800 to report violations or wildlife concerns; it is a 24/7 service.